Colorado State Rams Vs. UNLV Rebels Recap: Wild 4th Quarter Give Rebels 38-35 Win

After a back-and-forth first half, the Colorado St. Rams and UNLV Rebels did not disappoint in the second half, scoring a combined 29 points in the fourth quarter alone.

Unfortunately for the Rams faithful, a late interception in field goal range spelled their doomed, despite taking the lead on four separate occasions. The fourth quarter began with the Rams trailing 24-20, but in their first drive of the final quarter, the Rebels drove 73 yards for a 1-yard Dionza Bradford touchdown run and a 31-20 lead.

The Rams responded quickly, driving from the 23 yard line for a 12-yard Pete Thomas touchdown run. With the score narrowed to 27-31, the Rams offense got the ball back only to fumble it away within field goal range. The Colorado State defense stiffened once again, though, setting up a blocked 34-yard field goal attempt.

Reinvigorated and set up on their own 4 yard-line, the Rams offense jammed in another Chris Nwoke touchdown run, giving Colorado St. a 35-31 lead with less than 4:30 remaining.

Unfortunately, the Rams defense could not hold again, as Caleb Herring and Dionza Bradford quickly drove for a decisive touchdown and a 38-35 lead. Pete Thomas was able to move the Rams offense to the UNLV 28 yard line, but Tani Maka picked him off with less than a minute remaining, giving the Rebels a heart-breaking win.

For more on this and other Mountain West Conference football matchups, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection as well as SB Nation's college football news hub.

Score Update: Colorado State Leads UNLV 20-17 Through Halftime

The UNLV Rebels (1-5) started the scoring early with Nolan Kohorst kicking a 43 yard field goal on their opening drive. The Colorado St. Rams (3-4) could not respond on their first drive, but sophomore linebacker Shaquil Barrett did for them, intercepting a Sean Reilly pass, returning it 52 yards for a 7-3 Colorado St. lead.

The Rams' lead did not last long, however, as Ben DeLine returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and a 10-7 UNLV lead. The Rams crept back to a 13-10 lead after a pair of Chad VanderMolen field goals, but they could not maintain their lead going into the half as Caleb Herring tossed a touchdown with less than a minute remaining, giving the Rebels a 17-13 lead at the half.

In the third quarter, quarterback Pete Thomas, thus far having an underwhelming day, threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Crockett Gillmore, giving the Rams a 20-17 lead.

Through the first two and a half quarters, Colorado St. running backs Chris Nwoke and Raymond Carter have dominated the UNLV defense, rushing for a combined 133 yards on 22 carries. Freshman Lee Clubb has also added a 34 scamper of his own.

For more on the Mountain West conference and its teams, check out Mountain West Connection, SB Nation's Mountain West Conference blog.

Colorado State Vs. UNLV Game Time, TV Schedule, Spread And Notes

Both Colorado State and UNLV enter Saturday afternoon's game looking to end three-game losing streaks. Injuries to a total of 10 starters have cost the Rams 38 combined starts this season, yet they have a chance to get back to .500 overall and put themselves over .500 in Mountain West Conference play with a win against the Rebels. While CSU can at least entertain the notion of bowl eligibility, the situation is more dire for UNLV, which has just one win this season. But they do have a reasonable shot at picking up win number two against the Rams.

Game date, time: 4:00 p.m. MT, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011

Location: Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

TV channel: The Mountain West Sports Network (The Mtn.)

Spread: Colorado State is favored by three points

Series history: Colorado State leads the all-time series, 13-5-1

For more on this and other Mountain West Conference football matchups, be sure to visit Mountain West Connection as well as SB Nation's college football news hub.

College Football Odds: Colorado State Vs. UNLV

The Colorado State Rams visit the UNLV Rebels this weekend, making for a semi-exciting clash of mid-major lightweights.